Iran Naval Commander: We Had Missiles Locked On US Carrier During Sailor Crisis

11:27 AM 01/14/2016 | Defense

Russ Read | Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter

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An Iranian naval commander claims that Iran had missiles locked on to a U.S. aircraft carrier while 10 U.S. sailors were in Iranian captivity.

Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps claims that Iran had “coast-to-sea missiles, missile-launching speedboats and our numerous capabilities” ready to strike the U.S.S Truman while the sailors were in Iranian custody. The ten sailors and their two riverine boats were taken and held by Iranian forces Tuesday after they allegedly entered Iranian waters. Iranian media aired video of the capture and an apology from a U.S. sailor for the “mistake.” (RELATED: Will The Pentagon Pursue Charges Against The Sailor Who Apologized To Iran? [VIDEO])

Fadavi claims the U.S.S. Truman and French carrier Charles de Gaulle, both operating in the Persian gulf, made “unprofessional moves” during the incident.

“The U.S. and France’s aircraft carriers were within our range and if they had continued their unprofessional moves, they would have been afflicted with such a catastrophe that they had never experienced all throughout the history,” says Fadavi to Iranian media outlet Fars News Agency Wednesday.

“The U.S. and its Navy rest assured that they won’t be the winner of any battle with Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as destruction and sinking of their warships will be the end result of any such war,” continues Fadavi.

Mohsen Rezaei, a high-ranking Iranian official, refers to the incident as a “capture,” according to Tasmin news, Iran’s semi-official news agency. “The IRGC captured one of the world’s most modern boats belonging to the world’s most modern army,” says Rezaei on Thursday.

The ten sailors were released Wednesday after five phone calls between Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif and U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, during which Zarif told Kerry that the U.S. should extend a formal apology for the incident.

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